Tool locator



H. W. DEMLER July 28, 1964 TOOL LOCATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 17,1961 \Al- DEMLER July 28, 1964 H. w. DEMLER TOOL LOCATOR Filed Jan. 17,1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR. HENR? \J. DENLER y 28, 1964 H. w. DEMLER3,142,209

TOOL LOCATOR Filed Jan. 17, 1961 3 Sheets sheet 3 INVENTOR. HENRY \AI.DcnLER United States. Patent .0

3,142,209 TOOL LOCATOR Henry W. Demler, Lebanon, Pa, assignor to AMPIncorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. Filed Jan. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 83,288 3Ciairns. (Cl. 811-415) In the art of making electrical connections bymeans of crimping a ferrule onto a wire, it is frequently necessary toemploy a hand tool for performing this operation. It is also frequentlynecessary to make a plurality of crimps along the surface of theferrule. Particularly in utility work, high tension lines, etc., wherefairly large cables are employed, it is useful to be able toautomatically make a number of these connections without having tophysically relocate the tool.

The present invention has, as an object, the provision of a devicewhereby a hand tool may be located on a ferrule-type connector and aplurality of strokes taken to make a number of crirnps, whereby eachtime a crimp is made the tool will automatically move to the nextposition to make the succeeding crimp. Not only is the operator savedthe trouble of trying to realign the tool, but the automatic featurecauses each crimp to be located in exactly the right place. This avoidsthe difficulty of the crimps being made too close together or too farapart which might be deleterious.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a device of the typedescribed which is simple and may be easily added to a hand tool withoutany significant changes in the structure of the tool or complicating theoperation of the tool.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will becomeapparent to those skilled inthe art upon a reading of the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings inwhich there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of theinvention; it is to be understood, however, that this embodiment is notintended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but is given forpurposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art mayfully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the mannerof applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in variousforms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a perspective view of a device embodying theprinciples of this invention as shown;

FIGURE 2 illustrates a device similar to FIGURE 1 as secured to a tool;

FIGURE 3 is a view of the device of FIGURE 1 taken along plane 3-3;

FIGURE 4 is a view of the device of FIGURE 1 taken along plane 4-4 ofFIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the jaws of the tool inclosed position and the locating means sliding along the connector;

FIGURE 6 is a view taken along plane 6-6 of FIG- URE 4 showing a sidesectional view of the device;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 showing the device in closedposition; and

FIGURE 8 is an exploded view of the device of FIG- URE 1.

As shown in the drawings, a crimping tool, particularly suitable foradoption of the current invention, includes a pair of jaws 10 and 12which are pivotable and actuated by handles 14 and 16. Opening andclosing the handles 14 and 16 cause the jaws 10 and 12 to rock back andforth toward or away from each other so that dies 18 and 20 disposed onthe jaws are brought into and out of engagement. The locator of thedevice is generally in dicated by numeral 24. It comprises a block-likebody 3,142,209. Patented July 28, 1964 member 26 having slots 28, 30 and32 cut out of each of three sides. The slot 32 is adapted to fit againsta bar 34 on the side of the tool for retaining the locator in position.A pair of set screw holes 36 and 38 in the bottom of the slot permit theset screws to secure the locator to the tool. An opening 40 is drilledthrough the block so that it intersects the slot 28. A cam 42 with anopening 44 therein is adapted to fit into the slot 28 with the opening44 matching the opening 40. A rod 46 is adapted to fit into the opening40 in the block and the matched opening in the cam 42. The cam 42 isfixedly secured to the rod 46, although the rod is adapted to rotatewith respect to the block. A lever 50 is secured to the bottom end ofthe rod 46. The lever also has a cam surface 52 on one side thereof. Asshown in the drawings (FIGURE 2), when the device is secured to the toolthe cam surface 52 of the lever 50 bears against one side of the jaws ofthe tool.

' The slot 30 in the block 26 comprises a sliding track for the locatortraveling means. Ears 54 and 56 are formed by the slot 30. These earshave U-shaped openings 58 and 6%) respectively, formed in their outersurfaces. The slots 58 and 60 are aligned longitudinally and adapted toreceive a circular ferrule-type connector. A pair of holes 62 and 64 inthe car 54 is also aligned with a pair of holes 66 and 68 in the car 56.These holes are adapted to hold guide rods 70 and 72. A pair ofcompression springs 74 and 76 are adapted to slip over the outside ofthe guide rods 70 and 72 and bear against the inner surface of the ear54. A traveling block 78 is substantially the same shape as the ears 54and 56, and has a corresponding opening 80 and a pair of holes 82 and84.

' A pair of clips 86 and 88 are employed as the ferrule graspingmembers. These clips are made of a resilient, thin-metal stamping, suchas spring steel, and have an opening 90 with a horizontal slot 92 cut atright angles thereto to form a pair of wings 94 and 96. The back portionof the clip is curled around so that it will fit over its respectiveblock. The wings 94 and 96 are spaced a distance slightly less than thediameter of the ferrule. One of these clips fits over the outer face ofthe block 78, and the other clip fits on the outer face of the ear 56.Appropriate slots 97 and 98 are cut into the front end of the face ofthe block 78 to accommodate the spring clip. In assembly, the clip 86 isfitted onto the front of the block 78 and the clip 88 is fitted onto theear 56 of block 26. The springs 74 and 76 are fitted onto the rods 70and 72 and the block 78 is also fitted onto these rods by reason of therods projecting through the apertures 82 and 84 in the block 7 8. Theseapertures may be counterbored to accommodate one end of the springs 74,76. The rods 70 and 72 are slipped into the apertures 62 and 64 in theear 54. The block 78 is then fitted into place and the rods 70 and 72project through the apertures 82 and 84 in the block 78 and are threadedinto the apertures 66 and 68 in the car 56. It is noted that the block78 is free to travel along rods 70, 72, in the slot 30, but rearwardtravel of the block causes compression of the springs 74 and 76.

A cover plate 106 fits over the surface of the block 26 in proximity tothe ear 54. This cover plate has three sides, 102, 104, which are atright angles to the surface side 1416. A U-shaped opening 108 in theupper end of the side 106 matches the opening 58 in the ear 54. A pairof apertures 109 and 110 in the lower end of the sides 102 and 104respectively, are adapted to contain pivot pins which projecttherethrough and are inserted into the opening 112 in the bottom side ofthe block 26. It is thus seen that the cover plate is pivoted relativeto the block 26. The other end of the surfaces 102 and 1134 also containapertures 113 and 114 respectively. A pair of links 116 and 118 areadapted to have one end secured to each of these apertures. The oppositeends of the link are secured to the two apertures in the block 78. Allof these links are made with pivoted connections.

Operation When it is desired to crimp a ferrule-type connector in thetool, the ferrule is placed between the jaws of the tool and held inplace by the clip members 86 and 88. The handles of the tool 14 and 16are brought together so that the dies 18 and 20 make the crimp. As thedies are closed, operation of the tool members and 12 causes the link 50to be cammed by the tool member 10 in a rotated position. This linkrotates the rod 46 and, in turn, rotates the cam 42. The cam 42 bearsagainst the cover plate 100 and causes it to move backwardly.

Rearward pivoting of the cover plate 100 which is connected by links 116and 118 to the block 78 causes the block 78 to be moved rearwardly,carrying the clip 86 with it. This is accomplished by riding on the rods70 and 72 and causes compression of the springs 74 and 76. The clipmember 86 has ears 94 and 96 which cam outward slightly. This permitsthe block 78 to move in one direction quite easily, but resists motionin the opposite direction. When the full stroke has been achieved,relaxation of the tool causes the cam to move inwardly again and thespring members move the block 26 relative to the block 78. The entiretool has a tendency to move 1ongitudinally one length along theconnector which is stationarily disposed between high tension lines thatare to be interconnected so that the tool is now ready for the nextcrimp. In this motion, the clip 86 grabs the ferrule by means of thewings 94 and 96, thus permitting the other clip 88 to slidelongitudinally along the ferrule. Of course, the connector can be movedrelative to the tool by the present invention when the connector is notstationarily disposed.

Thus, a tool is provided which accomplishes a step-bystep traverse ofthe ferrule during the crimping operation. Each stroke of the crimpingtool causes the connector or tool to relocate itself in a direction anda degree necessary for properly making the next crimp.

I claim:

1. A device adapted to be secured to a scissors-type tool having anopening stroke and a closing stroke, said tool being adapted to crimpelectrical connectors, said device comprising: a body member, aspring-pressed moving block slidably secured to said body member, cammeans pivotally secured to said body member and operatively connected tosaid spring-pressed moving block, flexible connector-gripping clip meansprovided on said body member and on said spring-pressed moving blockadapted to frictionally engage an electrical connector, and meansconnected to said cam means for moving said springpressed moving blockrelative to said body member in one direction by one stroke of the tool,and for moving the spring-pressed moving block relative to the bodymember in the other direction by the other stroke of the tool, one ofsaid clip means being flexed and slidable along the connector during onestroke of the tool, the other of said clip means being flexed andslidable along the connector during the other stroke of the tool.

2. A tool for crimping electrical connectors, said tool having a pair ofdies secured in pivoted jaws, handles secured to said jaws for causingmovement to said jaws to pivot between an open position and a closedposition, and means for locating said tool in relation to an electricalconnector, said locating means comprising a body member secured to saidtool, said body member having an opening therein adapted to receive theelectrical connector, clip means on said body member including a fixedmeans and a spring-biased means, said fixed means and said spring-biasedmeans each including resilient material having flexible ears whichfrictionally engage said electrical connector, said spring-biased meansof said clip means being movable relative to said fixed means andoperating means connected to said spring-biased means and operated bythe jaws of the tool for causing said spring-biased means to moverelative to said fixed means, the flexible ears of said spring-biasedmeans being slidable along the connector during movement of the jaws inone direction, the flexible ears of said fixed means being slidablealong the connector during movement of the jaws in the other direction.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said operating means includes cam meanspivotally secured in said body member and operatively connected to saidspring-biased means, lever means connected to said pivotal cam means andincluding a cam surface bearing against one of said jaws.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,059,338 Bammer Apr. 22, 1913 1,506,138 Sehrt Aug. 26, 1924 2,086,400Brenizer July 6, 1937 2,213,566 Mair et a1 Sept. 3, 1940 2,254,416 BurnsSept. 2, 1941 2,454,875 Hyde Nov. 30, 1948 2,514,554 Nowelsky July 11,1950 2,548,320 Pearson Apr. 10, 1951 2,612,932 Vinson Oct. 7, 19522,633,193 Thompson Mar. 31, 1953 2,692,384 Pollock Oct. 26, 19542,727,236 Klumpp Dec. 20, 1955 2,812,676 Brown Nov. 12, 1957 2,953.290Kostenko et al Sept. 20, 1960

1. A DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A SCISSORS-TYPE TOOL HAVING ANOPENING STROKE AND A CLOSING STROKE, SAID TOOL BEING ADAPTED TO CRIMPELECTRICAL CONNECTORS, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING: A BODY MEMBER, ASPRING-PRESSED MOVING BLOCK SLIDABLY SECURED TO SAID BODY MEMBER, CAMMEANS PIVOTALLY SECURED TO SAID BODY MEMBER AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TOSAID SPRING-PRESSED MOVING BLOCK, FLEXIBLE CONNECTOR-GRIPPING CLIP MEANSPROVIDED ON SAID BODY MEMBER AND ON SAID SPRING-PRESSED MOVING BLOCKADAPTED TO FRICTIONALLY ENGAGE AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR, AND MEANSCONNECTED TO SAID CAM MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SPRINGPRESSED MOVING BLOCKRELATIVE TO SAID BODY MEMBER IN ONE DIRECTION BY ONE STROKE OF THE TOOL,AND FOR MOVING THE SPRING-PRESSED MOVING BLOCK RELATIVE TO THE BODYMEMBER IN THE OTHER DIRECTION BY THE OTHER STROKE OF THE TOOL, ONE OFSAID CLIP MEANS BEING FLEXED AND SLIDABLE ALONG THE CONNECTOR DURING ONESTROKE OF THE TOOL, THE OTHER OF SAID CLIP MEANS BEING FLEXED ANDSLIDABLE ALONG THE CONNECTOR DURING THE OTHER STROKE OF THE TOOL.